Jackson Irvine has lauded the form of his club teammate, Connor Metcalfe, after a number of impressive displays with FC St Pauli in 2. Bundesliga.
The 23-year-old's strong performances have also coincided with another call-up to the Subway Socceroos, where he has five caps for his country.
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Metcalfe was previously in the national team set-up for the September window last year against New Zealand, but unfortunately missed out on selection for the final FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 squad.
However, following the midseason hiatus due to the major tournament, the midfielder has since hit the ground running and seen an increase in playing time.
"Connor (Metcalfe) has had a super start, you know, slightly different role for him in the team," Irvine admitted, speaking exclusively to Socceroos.com.au.
"And he's definitely thriving, a couple of goals in the last two games and you know, he's bringing his usual determination and quality to the team."
His form has not gone unnoticed with Graham Arnold recalling him in his latest 26-player squad for the pair of international friendlies against Ecuador in Sydney and Melbourne.
Metcalfe scored in back-to-back games against Hannover 96 and 1.FC Kaiserslautern and has started the previous seven games as the Hamburg-based side has collected seven consecutive wins.
"He's definitely a huge part of what we're doing now and you know, he's a huge character in the dressing room as well," Irvine continued.
"And after a bit of time to settle he's grown into a really important player for us and he'll be someone that we build on over the next few months, that's for sure."
The former Melbourne City man has scored three goals in 20 appearances during the 2022/23 season.
